Vehicles typically introduce ambient air into an engine compartment for various vehicle systems, e.g., cooling, exhaust, etc. The amount of air introduced can be controlled by opening and closing an active grill shutter. Opening the active grill shutter can be important for cooling vehicle components, but may not be needed in certain conditions. Closing the active grill shutter allows the air to pass over the shutter and aerodynamic drag on the vehicle can be reduced. Systems are lacking for detecting whether the active grill shutter is correctly open or closed.